UPDATE 30 Aug 2025 - Thanks to everyone that has liked/favourited/downloaded and boosted!

I've removed one file (had two copies of the "Drive Gear"). And I've uploaded 3mf's generated from Creality Print 5.1. Maybe if I'd done that earlier I might have been considered in the STEAM "Education" competition. (Perhaps I should have just made an "educational" text flip.... I'm not bitter at all. :|

I've generated one file for each "logical" group - though you may want to split them apart if you wish to print multiple colours etc. The planets are arranged how I printed them - raised 3mm above the plate with snug supports (Saturn is angled so the rings are horizontal). The sun I could only get a decent print by splitting it. For some reason printing it with supports the bottom ended up trash (and off colour - very odd). Even after splitting it, it didn't want to stick to the plate properly (hence the gap).

As for Creality Print - I didn't use it at all to print my models. I'd used it for ages, and spent heaps of time trying to compile the code. I had to generate my own profile because it didn't support my Creality Printer at all (Ender 3 Max Neo is the forgotten child). When v6 came out I was excited because it had a profile for my printer - but it wouldn't connect to the Creality Wireless box (which I've now binned - garbage!).

When playing around with the signs (for another project) I could not get my Max Neo to change colours. So I ended up going down the Marlin firmware route - which then lead me to the Octoprint route. And now... Sprite extruder (not sure why I bothered), Raspberry Pi with a Logitech Camera (wearing a corrective lens).

But because Creality think their software is worth using - I had to generate all these 3mf's in CP 5.1... Err, enjoy?

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UPDATE 18 Aug 2025 - I've just uploaded a fixed "003 - Mercury Washer.stl". The inner radius was too small (and I'd forgotten that I'd drilled out the centre of my original print). If you've printed it, you can just drill out the centre with a 6.5mm drill bit (which is a bit bigger than 1/4"). You can drill it out a little bigger, it doesn't have to be "snug" with the "Mercury Axis".

Another note - the "028 - Top Plate.stl" is not part of the completed build. It's just handy for you to hold the gears together to fine tune any snags etc. that may occur. Note: The main axis will move around a bit while you use this so it pays to hold the top plate with one hand while rotating the handle (or the sun...).

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This is an "orbit simulator" for the solarsystem, including all 8 planets. Each planet is attached to an axis that is driven, by a set of gears, at a rate that is approximately correct relative to the orbit of Mercury around the sun. Mercury takes around 88 earth days to orbit the Sun. With this model the ratios for each of the orbits are:

- Mercury -> Venus = 2.56 : 1

- Venus -> Earth = 1.62 : 1

- Earth -> Mars = 1.88 : 1

- Mars -> Jupiter = 6.25 : 1

- Jupiter -> Saturn = 4.8 : 1

- Saturn -> Uranus = 1.45 : 1

- Uranus -> Neptune = 2 : 1

A very short video with great Gootube music (because the original video REALLY picked up the squeaking of the model) can be seen here:

Everything can be printed without supports, with the exception of the planets. With the exception of the Mercury Axis, I printed all the axis tubes standing upright. I printed all the gears using "Outside wall first". It occasionally skips a bit, probably because I had some lifting on a couple of the gears.

The "valve handle" drives the "earth gear" - so one turn of the handle will be 1 earth orbit (1 year).

One quick note. This model has some BIG parts. It prints fine on my Ender 3 Max Neo (300 x 300 x 320) - but check that you can print the Mercury Axis (print flat - it has a flat size) before you commit to everything else!

Solar System orbit simulator

Washers - Ender 3 Max Neo - 0.2mm layer, 4 walls, 15% infill

Signs - Ender 3 Max Neo - 0.2mm layer, 4 walls, 15% infill

Planets - Ender 3 Max Neo - 0.2mm layer, 4 walls, 15% infill